Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) 6th Edition Writing Style Workshop

Presented by:Toms Rivera Center

Why should I learn APA style?

Provides reader with a consistent format Allows reader to focus on content Consistency is easier for the writer to follow the rules Graduate school prep Used in the field for publication

Citation Style Comparisons

APA
Purpose Focuses on current research & researcher Education, Communication, Psychology Running head with title & page number Year of publication is very important (within 10 years is considered current)

MLA
Focuses on author & pinpoint citations Languages, Literature

Chicago
For publishing; most often in books History, Business, Computer Science Running head with last name Footnotes

Subject areas

Header Distinguishing factor

Last name, with page number Page numbers for all used material- quotes or paraphrases

Block quotes
Positives

Block quote for 40 or more words

Research based, simplified numbers References

Block quote for more than four typed lines

Streamlined; familiar

Block quote for 100 or more words

Footnotes allow text to be unencumbered by citations Bibliography

Reference page title

Works Cited

What we will cover today

Changes in the 6th Edition General Manuscript Instructions Common grammar/punctuation mistakes References IN text Quotations in text Reference List Bias in language Helpful tools for writing

Overall Changes
More tech savvy Book is reorganized for better use, from publication basics & ethics, to structure & content, to writing style & rules, then graphics, then working with the publisher. Focus has been broadened to include readers in the social and behavioral sciences.

Plagiarism & Self-Plagiarism (p. 15)

Each time you paraphrase or quote another author you must credit the source in the text.
In APA there is no such thing as bookending your paragraph with a citation at the beginning and end. Each sentence that is paraphrased must have a citation.

Self-plagiarism is reusing your own work by passing it off as new scholarship. You must cite yourself if you do this.

Major Manuscript Changes in the 6th Edition

Page header now includes Running head (p. 230)
Electronic journal references includes DOI (digital object identifier) (p. 198) Heading levels changed, including using boldface type for many (p. 62) Two spaces after a period at the end of a sentence (p. 88)

Tabbing the Manual

Changes Appendix Sample Paper Headings Tables & Figures Quoting Reference in Text Reference list Checklist p. 4 p. 38 p. 41 p. 62 p. 127 p. 170 p. 174 p. 193 p. 241

General Instructions for Preparing a Paper Manuscript (Section 8.03, p. 228)

Typeface 12pt Times New Roman Double spaced Margins are 1 inch on all sides Page numbers in upper right-hand corner, starting on title page Two spaces at the end of a sentence recommended. Remember, title of paper is repeated on first line of text (page two, generally)

Header changes
The header now includes the Running head: IN UPPER CASE (max of 50 characters, including spaces)
Running head: INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN BIMODAL PROCESSES 1

But on subsequent pages the words Running head are not there.
INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN BIMODAL PROCESSES 2

In Word 2007, once you are in header, use different first page tool to create this.

General Instructions, cont.

Title Page
Title Name Institutional Affiliation

Running Head
(less than 50 characters, including spaces) Fully justified as a header with page number

Running head: INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN BIMODAL PROCESSES

Individual Differences in Bimodal Processing and Text Recall Bruce R. Dunn and Maria L. Garcia

University of Texas at San Antonio

Headings (p. 62)

There

are five levels of headings which follow a top-down progression.

Centered, Boldface, and Upper and Lowercase Heading

Flush Left, Boldface, and Upper and Lowercase Heading Indented, boldface, lowercase heading ending with a period. Indented, bold face, italicized, lowercase heading ending with a period.

Indented, italicized, lowercase heading ending with a period.

First
Common grammar mistakes in APA papers

Commas (p. 88)

Use in series of three or more items
The height, width, or depth

Use to set off nonessential clauses

Switch A, which was on a panel

DO NOT USE before an essential clause

The switch that stops the recording device also controls the light.

Semicolon (p. 89)

Use to separate two independent clauses that are not joined by a conjunction
The participants in the first study were paid; those in the second study were unpaid.

Use to separate elements in a series that already contain commas

The color order was red, yellow, blue; blue, yellow, red; or yellow, red, blue.

Colon (p. 90)

Use between a complete introductory clause and a final phrase. (If the clause following the colon is a complete sentence, it begins with a capital letter.)
Freud (1930/1961) wrote of two urges: an urge toward union with others and

DO NOT USE after an introduction that is not a complete sentence.

The formula is r = e + a. (correct) The formula is: r = e + a. (incorrect)

Dash (p. 90)

Use to indicate a sudden interruption in the continuity of a sentence
These two participantsone from the first group, one from the secondwere tested separately.

However, overuse weakens the flow of material.

Quotation Marks (p. 91)

Use to introduce a word or phrase used as an ironic comment or coined expression only the first time it is used.
Considered normal behavior
This is an ironic use of normal, therefore it is put in quotation marks.

The good-outcome variable

This is a term coined by the student writer, therefore it is put in quotation marks.

To set off the title of an article or chapter in a book when used in text (NOT in the reference list).

Quotation Marks, cont.

DO NOT USE to cite a letter, word, phrase, or sentence as a linguistic example. (Instead, italicize them.)
He clarified the difference between farther and further.

DO NOT USE to introduce a technical or key term. (Instead, italicize them.)

The term zero-base budgeting appeared

Parentheses (p. 93)

Use to introduce an abbreviation
Effect on the galvanic skin response (GSR)

Use to set off structurally independent elements.

The patterns were significant (see Figure 5).

To enclose statistical values

Was significant (p < .05)

Parentheses, cont.
DO NOT USE to enclose material within other parentheses; use brackets.
(the Beck Depression Inventory [BDI])

DO NOT USE back to back.

Brackets (p. 94)

Use to enclose parenthetical material that is already within parentheses To enclose material inserted in a quotation by some person other than the original writer
when [his own and others] behaviors were studied (Hanisch, 1992, p. 24)

DO NOT USE to set off statistics that already include parentheses.

Slash (p. 95)

Use to clarify a relationship in which a hyphenated compound is used
Hits/false-alarm comparisons

DO NOT USE when a phrase would be clearer

Mother or guardian (rather than mother/guardian)

DO NOT USE for simple comparisons

Test-retest reliability (rather than test/retest)

Capitalization (p. 101)

Capitalize major words in titles and headings within body of paper (not in references). Capitalize the first word after a colon or dash in a title. Capitalize proper nouns and trade names. DO NOT CAPITALIZE names of laws, theories, models, or hypotheses. (But retain capitalization of personal names.)
We saw significant evidence of Rogerian theory or personcentered theory in the

Capitalization, cont.
Capitalize nouns followed by numerals or letters that denote a specific place in a numbered series (unless it is a common part of a book or table.)
On Day 2 of Experiment 4 chapter 4

DO NOT CAPITALIZE nouns that precede a variable.

trial n (variable); Trial 3 (number)

Capitalization, cont.
Capitalize exact, complete titles of tests DO NOT CAPITALIZE names of conditions or groups in an experiment
experimental and control groups

Capitalize names of derived factors within a factor analysis

Mealtime Behavior (Factor 4)

Italics (p. 104)

Use for titles of books, periodicals, and microfilm publications Use to introduce a new, technical, or key term or label (only the first time) Use for letters, words, or phrases cited as a linguistic example
Words such as big and little

Italics, cont. (p. 107)

Use for words that could be misread
The small group [meaning a designation, not a group size]

Use for letters used as statistical symbols

t test

Use for anchors of a scale

Ranged from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent)

Abbreviations (p. 106)

Use sparingly
Use standard Latin abbreviations only in parenthetical material (e.g., i.e., vs., etc.) and outside use (for example, that is, versus, and so forth) (pg. 108)

Seriation (Lists) p. 63
Within a paragraph or sentence, identify elements in a series by lowercase letters in parentheses.
The participants three choices were (a) working with another participant, (b) working with a team, and (c) working alone.

Separate paragraphs in a series are identified by an Arabic numeral followed by a period.

1. Individuals who 2. Depressed persons exposed to
You can use bullets for this, if you feel it gives an ordinal weight to the first item, but the manual explains that once you turn it into a journal they will most likely change this back for publication purposes- so might as well stick to the old way.

Numbers (p. 111)

Use figures/numerals to express:
All numbers 10 and above All numbers below 10 that are grouped for comparison with numbers 10 and above (i.e. 2, 6, and 15-- not two, six, and 15)
This is now optional in the 6th Edition.

Numbers that immediately precede a unit of measurement (i.e. 3 lbs.-- not three lbs.) Numbers that denote a specific place in a numbered series (Trials 1, 2, and 3 not Trial one) Numbers that represent statistical or mathematical functions (more than 5% of the sample not five percent of the sample) Numbers that represent time, dates, ages, etc.

Numbers, cont.
Use words to express:
Numbers below 10 Any number that begins a sentence or title (i.e. Three blind mice were all talking) Common fractions (i.e. one-fourth, one-third) Universally accepted usage (the Ten Commandments)

Numbers, cont.
Use a combination of figures and words to express:
Rounded large numbers (starting with millions)
3 million people (not three million people)

Back-to-back modifiers
Twenty 6-year-olds (not 20 6-year olds)

Numbers, cont.
Use a zero before decimal point when numbers are less than 1
0.23 cm, 0.48 s

DO NOT USE a zero before a decimal fraction when the number cannot be greater than one (e.g. correlations, proportions, and levels of statistical significance)
r(24) = -.43, p < .05

Next up
Reference citations IN text

Reference Citations in Text

One Author:
Smith (2002) found (Smith, 2002).

Two Authors:
Smith and Jones (2003) found (Smith & Jones, 2003).

Reference Citations in Text, cont.

Three, Four, or Five Authors:
1st time:
Smith, Jones, and Black (2001) found

After the 1st time:

Smith et al. (2001) found

After 2nd time, but inside the same paragraph:

Smith et al. found

Reference Citations in Text, cont.

Six or More Authors:
Smith et al. (2002) found

Groups as Authors:
1st Citation:
(American Psychological Association [APA], 2000).

Subsequent Citations:
(APA, 2000).

Reference Citations in Text, cont.

Anonymous or No Author
Use first few words of reference list entry (usually title):
(Study Finds, 1995) (TEA, 2007)

Authors with Same Surname

Include initials
S. T. Smith (2000) and J. D. Smith (1999)

Reference Citations in Text, cont.

Two of more works within the same parentheses
In order alphabetically, as they would appear in references, separated by semi-colons
(Jones, 2003; Thomas, 2010)

If by same author, then by date

(Jones, 2003, 2007)

Third topic
How to do Quotations in text

Quotations in Text
Display quotation of fewer than 40 words in double quotation marks. Include page number in parentheses (pinpoint citation).
Black (1993) stated, The placebo effect disappeared when behaviors were studied in this manner (p. 276).

Quotations in Text, cont.

Display quotation of 40 or more words in block quotation (double spaced) without quotation marks.
Black (1993) found the following:
The placebo effect had been verified in previous studies. This effect was found to be indicative of a patients belief that they were suffering from x diagnosis and were receiving y medication which was helping them to reduce z psychosomatic side effects. (p. 276)

Quotations in Text, cont.

Omitting material (insert )
If you decide to delete something

Inserting material (use brackets)

Yada yada [more the same] and so forth

Adding emphasis (use brackets to explain emphasis)

[emphasis added]

Citations for quotations must include author, year, and page number!!

Fourth topic
The Reference List!!

References
Remember reference page is titled References and they are:
Double spaced In alphabetical order And formatted with a hanging indention
Easiest way is to type references like your normally would, select/highlight them all, and then in Word, under FORMAT- Paragraph- select hanging indention! Also, Word 2007 has a sort function, so it can alphabetize your references if you highlight them and select that function.

Reference List
Journal Article accessed in print
Carlson, L. A. (2003). Existential theory: Helping school counselors attend to youth at risk for violence. Professional School Counseling, 6(5), 10-15.

Reference List
Journal Article (accessed electronically) with DOI
Herbst-Damm, K.L., & Kulik, J.A. (2005). Volunteer support, marital status, and the survival times of terminally ill patients. Health Psychology, 24, 225-229. doi: 10.1037/02786133.24.2.225

Reference List
Journal Article (accessed electronically) without DOI Give URL: Retrieved from http://www.xx (prefer the journal website and not the link directly through the database, for access reasons)
Silick, T.J., & Schutte, N.S. (2006). Emotional intelligence and self-esteem mediate between perceived early parental love and adult happiness. EJournal of Applied Psychology, 2(2), 38-48. Retrieved from http://ojs.lib.swin.edu.au/index.php/ejap

Using a DOI
How do you find the doi on an article?
Example on EBSCO

How to use a doi you found?

http://dx.doi.org http://crossref.org/

Reference List
Entire Book:
Beck, C. A. J., & Sales, B. D. (2001). Family mediation: Facts, myths, and future prospects. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. For electronic versions use
doi if provided and no publishing location or Retrieved from http://www.websitename.org No retrieval date necessary

Reference List
Chapter in an edited book: Johnson, R. A. (1989). Retrieval inhibition as an adaptive mechanism in human memory. In H. L. Roediger III & F. I. M. Craik (Eds.), Varieties of memory & consciousness (pp. 309330). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Reference List
Journal with more than seven authors
Gilbert, D. G., McCleron, J. F., Rabinovich, N. E., Sugai, C., Plath, L. C., Asgaard, G., Botros, N. (2004). Effects of quitting smoking on EEG activation and attendtion last for more than 31 days and are more severe with stress. Nicotine and Tobacco Research, 6, 249-267.

Reference List
English translation of a book: Lang, P. S. (1951). A philosophical essay on probabilities (F. W. Truscott & F. L. Emory, Trans.). New York, NY: Dover. (Original work published 1814)
*In text, cite original date and translation date: (Lang, 1814/1951).

Reference List
Online resource from group/government
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2003). Managing asthma: A guide for schools. Retrieved from http://www.nhibi.nih.gov/health /prof/lung/asthma/asth_sch.pdf

Reference List
Secondary Source
Text citation:
Seidenberg and McClellands study (as cited in Coltheart, Curtis, Atkins, & Haller, 1993)

Reference List Entry:

Coltheart, M., Curtis, B., Atkins, P., & Haller, M. (1993). Models of reading aloud: Dual-route and parallel-distributed-processing approaches. Psychological Review, 100, 589-608.

Reference List
Electronic Media Worse case scenario: Stand-alone document, no author identified, no date: GVUs 8th WWW user survey. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.cc.gatech. edu/gvu/user_surveys/survey-199710/
Remember to print your sources and file away And that you no longer need to include the date you retrieved the item.

Reference List Personal Interview

Cite ONLY within the text
DO NOT include in reference list!

This includes: lectures, interviews, emails, letters, and other person-toperson communication. Examples:
T.K. Lutes claims. (personal communication, April 18, 2005). (V.-G. Brown, personal communication, September 10, 2005).

Fifth topic
APA and bias in language! (p. 70)

Bias in Language: Gender

Avoid ambiguity by choosing nouns, pronouns, and adjectives that specifically describe participants. Avoid using he when referring to both sexes. When referring to someone who is transsexual or transgendered, use pronouns appropriate to how the individual identifies.

Bias in Language: Sexual Orientation

Sexual orientation is the preferred term over sexual preference, which implies an intentional choice. The terms lesbians, gay men, and bisexual individuals are preferable to homosexual.

Bias in Language:
Racial and Ethnic Identity, cont.
Guideline 1: Precision: be specific, not general.
It is best to specify names of regions or subgroups (e.g., Cuban, Vietnamese, Pakistani)

Guideline 2: Use commonly accepted designations.

Bias in Language: Racial and Ethnic Identity

Racial and ethnic groups are designated by proper nouns and are capitalized (e.g., Black, White). Preferred designations:
Black or African American Latina/o, Chicana/o, or Hispanic American Indian or Native American Asian or Asian American

Bias in Language: Disabilities

Use Person-first language:
Avoid language that equates persons with their condition (e.g., neurotics, the disabled) Preferred description: person with ____, people diagnosed with _____

Use disability to refer to an attribute of a person and handicap to refer to the source of limitations

Bias in Language: Age

Be specific in providing age ranges (avoid under 18 or over 65) Use the term older person rather than elderly.
Girl/Boy under 12 Young woman/man or female/male adolescent 13-17 yrs Women/men 18 and older

FINAL topics to help you

Word Tools to Help You

Readability statistics
Passive voice- want lowest number possible (p. 77) Flesch reading ease- aim for 70-80 Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level- aim for 9-12th grade
Realize that just because you use big words doesnt make you an academic this will not increase your ability to get published, but having an easy to read, interesting article will!

To show these stats-- Open Word

Click on Tools Options Spelling & Grammar Check the box next to show readability statistics The stats will show once you run a spell check.

Other places to find assistance

Graduate Student Learning Assistance
http://www.utsa.edu/trcss/gsla

UTSA Writing Center

http://www.utsa.edu/twc

UTSA Library
http://www.lib.utsa.edu/Research/Subject/citingguide .html

Purdues OWL
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/5 60/01/

Thank You!
Any questions?